cajun

It was also comforting to me preoperatively to know that Dr Aceves has performed over 600 VSG surgeries and has never had a leak. There is nothing that compares to having full confidence in your surgeon. I had researched so much and learned so much about his skills that I was SUPER calm when I was when going into surgery. It made all the difference in the world. Meeting Dr Aceves and the other physicians on his team prior to surgery, seeing how thorough they were in all the pre-operative assessments (even knowing what I know as a nurse for 30 years) made it so easy. All the information that I read on this forum, and in bariatric surgery journals also helped tremendously. Everyone is different. For me, learning as much as I could and understanding all the possible benefits/risks, how things should progress, and what to expect post-operatively, just helped me feel more and more confident.

Aloha! You asked on an earlier post "what causes hernia"? Being obese can predispose a person to getting a hiatal hernia, and my surgeon always repairs any hernia like this when he is doing the sleeve surgery. It's actually very common and lots of people don't even know they have the hernia. It just takes a stitch or two to close up the defect in the diaphragm, to repair the hernia. It's not a big deal at all. But it does seem to cause a bit more esophageal spasm, I guess because the esophagus is not used to being constricted a little where it enters the diaphragm. So that "constriction" causes a bit more discomfort when food passes through that area. You just learn to take smaller swallows, and wait to let any "burp" come up before you take another swallow. If you don't wait to let the burp come up, the air bubble in your upper sleeve gets bigger with each swallow, and that hurts more and more. I noticed when I first started drinking after surgery, when I first felt the slight discomfort (air bubble), the temptation was to swallow another sip to "get it to go down", but that is the opposite of what should be done. Wait to burp. Then you can take another tiny sip. Now I am 5 weeks post op, and only occasionally have this need to burp, so it gets better as time goes along. My sips don't have to be as tiny (but I don't take huge gulps like I could before surgery). Hope this helps.

Dr Aceves will give you a letter for your employer for the time off if you ask. I requested two weeks, so was on "mushies" by the time I went back to work. That gave me a bit more energy. Good luck to you!

Read as many posts as you can. Ask questions if you have them. Welcome to the best place to find support before and after your surgery!

I find this article very interesting and actually see it as encouraging, not anxiety producing...for me, knowing that successful methods of dealing with leaks are being developed is a great thing in my book.

AWESOME NSV TennJenn. I can't wait to follow in your footsteps.

Dan, Yes, I was especially lightheaded and weak on the preop diet, but I found it helped if I drank something every 2 hours that had a little nourishment in it. 1/4 cup of jay Robb Protein Shake, or some sobe lifewater which has a few calories. Be sure you are getting enough water and protein drinks, or you will be weak. If you get dehydrated, you can have other complications such as gout, fainting, renal problems. Did your surgeon give you instructions on this?

I decided to not buy candy this year (maybe ever again) for haloween...instead I found cute little boxes of stickers in haloween colors. I rarely have any trickortreeters on my street, so usually ended up eating the entire bag of what ever I bought myself! Yikes. (not all in one sitting at least!). But this year, I'll be taking the left over stickers to work for the peds patients.

You sound like the rest of us preop---nervous is normal. Keep up the good work. It is all worth it when you see the pounds dropping off. I felt dizzy and a bit weak after a week or so on the pre op diet. Just be sure to drink plenty of water so you don't get dehydrated, which can cause complications. You'll do great.

Does anyone else have back pain after eating solid foods? I am on day six of solids, and if I stick to mushies or liquids, I am fine. But when I eat small portions (even just one ounce) of meat, and some other solid foods, I get an aching pain between my shoulder blades that lasts for several hours. Then it goes away. Liquids or mushies don't seem to cause this. What's the deal? I hope some one can shed some light on this. Thanks y'all.

right, no fever

Type in zapata in the upper right hand search box on this page and you will find some posts about him.

Pullllease....bicker in the private message session!

I hate it when people treat you like an idiot...grrrr I agree with you that you may have just done a bit too much on just 3 days post op. Take naps and don't be doing a lot of physical exertion right now...you just had major surgery so give the bod a break! What kind of progressive diet does your doctor recommend? Backing it up sometimes helped me when I felt cruddy. I started solids this week and have some back pain so am backing up to mushies for a couple days to give the sleeve a rest. Sometimes it feels like two steps forward and one step back. If "jane" is the nicer nurse, can you ask to speak with "jane" when you have to call? Hope you feel better soon.

Dr Aceves' instructions to me were to wait three months before trying pills, but I had hiatal hernia surgery along with the sleeve so I'm a bit "tighter" than those who just had the sleeve. I crush up some of my pills. Nexium can't be "crushed" because of the way it is formulated so I dissolve it in a little Water and rinse it down. Another One that can't be crushed comes in a liquid form which I am using for now. I used to take huge glucosamine "horse pills" before surgery, but I've lost 40 lbs and my knees don't hurt any more, so I discontinued those completely ...have not taken them since before the surgery. Goal is to eventually get OFF of everything except maybe a multivit.

It is hard to break out of old habits...I alsol sometimes eat without thinking about what I am doing, and that is not a good thing. I found that after about 1 week of pre op clears, I was no longer wanting solid foods and was not really hungry. The ketones seem to help with that. I also liked the mushy stage, but I am a big Soup lover. Unfortunately, Dr Aceves cautioned us to avoid Soups once we are out of mushies stage,, so we can get in all the Protein we need in dense protein foods, with no fluids at mealtime. I miss soups. Occasionally I will still splurge and have a bowl of soup instead of a dense protein meal. I add some okios plain yogurt to the soup to add protein, and it also makes it nice and creamy. Love it! You will be past the surgery stage before you know it, and meeting the post-op challenges. Keep in touch...we all help each other!

That is AWESOME. I can't wait to join you in the women's dept!

Miguel, Congratulations on your successful surgery! I am interested in exactly what kinds of foods you eat that make it possible to not rely on protein drinks? Who was your surgeon?

"Thank you very much! I was having trouble all day yesterday and today getting my doctor's office to fax my monthly weigh-in office visits and my thyroid test results to the bariactric center." That is outrageous! If I were you, I would find a new doctor, and I would send a official to the old doctor telling him/her why I changed doctors. No one deserves to be treated like that. Kudos to you for sticking it out, and standing up for yourself! You Rock!

Also, be careful to not be swayed by a surgeon who wants to influence your decision because he is more familiar with doing one type surgery over the other. Decide what YOU want, then find a surgeon who has performed at least 300 of them, and has low complication statistics.

I would do it again too. Just think of all the risk you take with your life if you allow it to go on as it has been going...cardiovascular disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, inability to do the ordinary things that make life worthliving... To me, the risk of surgery is vastly less than the risk of severe illness untold misery, and early death, which is where I was headed as an obese person. My motto: VSG or BUST! I got the VSG.

Just to clarify, only the nasal version, which is given to some children, is a live virus. The other versions are all killed, just like the regular flu shot. There are some companies that are making a version that lacks the thimerosol (mercury) but I doubt there will be much of that available. I'm one month out from my VSG and am not taking either flu vaccine yet...with the lack of balanced nutrients and shock of surgery, I just don't think I have an optimal immune system yet to take it. Maybe in a month. Still thinking on it. At work when I am with any patients who has a respiratory complaint, I wear an N95 mask, as recommended by my employer, wash wash wash hands, keep them away from my face, etc etc..

Norma You are smart to pack light. I took just one small rolling bag, had a cpap in it and just a few items. I just wore my crocks...took no other shoes because they work for the shower, slip on easily, great for the whole trip. I did carry my pillow and was glad I had it. Also packed a heating pad which I used (and shared with another sleever)...was glad to have it the first two days as it helped with the gas pain. Wore one set of clothes, took one other set only.Took one PJ set. A couple pair of undies...can wash them by hand. No makeup, just like you. Took deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, flossers. They supply shampoo, and soap for bathing. I took some warm socks and used them. Took my small email computer, but it would noto pick up a signal but another sleever shared so I could read my email. I wore a money belt to carry my passport and a little cash. Safer than a purse and easier too. Be sure to bring about $75.00 so you can buy two packages of nexium before you leave the hospital. There are several pharmacies right by the hospital. Get a prescription from Dr Aceves for it, so if inspected at the border you can show your prescription with the pills (doubt you will be inspected). Nexium costs 100 bucks for a month supply in the US.but half that in Mexico. I wish I had bought a three month supply. Dr Aceves will give you a two week supply, but you will need more. I'd take 100.00 if you have a companion so you both can eat supper the night before surgery, and your companion will need a little to eat while you are dining on apple juice and broth post op. Ha Ha. Credit cards work too. They did not supply washcloths so if you want any, take them. They do supply towels. Sanitize your shower before leaving home. I made sure to give my house a good cleaning too. so I would not have to worry about it for a good while after surgery. I don't usually check my cpap baggage but since I was traveling alone, I did check it at the curb in San Diego, when Ernesto dropped me off. That way I did not have to worry about lifting it and getting hernias at my incision sites. Be sure to have Nina's phone number with you. My flight got delayed and I had to call her to make alternative arrangements for my lab testing and first night stay, because I could not get a connecting flight until late in the day. Just call her ASAP if you have any delays. They are used to handling this kind of thing. I also wore an N95 mask on the plane going and coming, to keep from getting the flu (which is even more prevalent now so I highly recommend it). In the airports I moved when a person who was coughing sat next to me, and I tried to stay out of crowded areas as much as possible. Sounds kind of paranoid, but I did not want to have the flu post operatively...that would have been miserable. I hope this helps. Am excited for you! Keep in touch!

Norma, What a great way to prepare! You will be SO ready for this! Let us know how you are doing after surgery. I loved Dr Aceves and Dr Campos...they are awesome surgeons and will make you feel so relaxed and confident. You could not be in better hands!

Friday was my one month surgiversary. I have now lost 40 lbs since starting a "modified" preop diet on August 16. The day I left home for surgery in Mexicali, my weight was 264 so I've lost 22 lbs since the surgery. I am thrilled and feeling so great. This weekend I "attacked" the weeds in my garden, and it was the first time in two years that I've been able to work all day at it without becoming fatigued after ten minutes. My garden is SO happy and I am absolutely THRILLED! Now I am on solid foods, and am able to eat almost 2 ounces of meat before feeling full. Am getting in the required fluids and Protein almost every day. Several days I have been "over" on the carb limit and some days way under so I guess it evens out. I add some well blended blueberries or papaya to my Protein shake in the morning, and am hoping to be able to add some nutritious veggies to my meals soon. But for now, all I seem to be able to eat at meals is a tiny piece of meat...then I am full. I will soon be reducing my BP medication to 1/2 dose as my pressure is down to 110/60. It used to run 140/80's most of the time. My internist and I are both really happy about that. For Vitamins I am taking liquid Vit D3, sublingual B12, and crushing/breaking up my multiple Vitamin and Calcium pill. I did not resume the glucosamine that I took pre-surgery, because MY KNEES DON'T HURT ANY MORE YIPPE. Yesterday I started taking a probiotic because I have had some diarrhea. This happens about once a week. Not much residue in, not much out. I sleep more soundly, but wake up after 7 hours of good sleep, feeling so much more energetic than prior to the weight loss. I used to sleep 9 hours and woke up groggy every morning. What a difference! Less than 100 lbs left to lose...I plan to have it off my bones in 6-7 months! I am so thrilled with my new life. Many thanks to so many of you who shared information and support that helped me get to this point.